The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-11-25
THE MODERN NEWSPAPER.

livered discourse in st. Johns EDis-
copal church, Milwaukee. last Sunday
evening on the modern newspaper and
its influence on civilization. We
would be glad TO transfer the whole of
this discourse to the columns of this
paper if the room could be afforded.
A few extracts are given as specimen
of its appreciation of the properly con-
Quoted newspaper:
Surprising far. in Importance to
civilization, railroad, steamboat and
electricity. is the modern newspaper
the promoter of education, the exhil-
arator of society, and cultivator of
morality far more powerful than the
pulpit. Il would rather have news
papers without government than gov
eminent without newspapers, truly
said Thomas Jefferson. Liberty and
newspapers were born at the same
time, and their cause has ever been the
overthrow of tyranny in every shape.
:" 1t is the great popular medium of
information. Your city library is
comparatively shut off from the gen
eral public, but your newspapers are
universally accessible. The thoughts
Of the greatest modern minds first
found, and still find, expression
through the press. The Adamses,
Hancock, Jefferson, Macauley, Thack-
cray, Carlisle, all our poets, Longfel
low, Bryant, Whittier, Poe and even
Uncle Toms Cabin-first appeared in
the newspapers. The cause Of religion
is advanced as we'll. In the large
cities the word tha, falls from the lips
of great diviues are embalmed in the
press like the insect in amber, and be-
come public property upon Monday
morning.
But, unfortunately, some news
papers are bad. The columns of some
papers are filled with filth. Unless
you would turn stream of corruption
into your homes set against such a
farce of tlint. Some newspapers fatten
upon vanity. There are disreputa,
BILE reporters, careless of truth, whose
only qualification for making their
way through life is their face, their
brazen and intolerable insolence.
There are editors whose leaders are
advertisements in masquerade, who,
themselves, are typographical Bedou-
ms, evangeiists of all that is false"
But there is still another advantage
derived from the we'll conducted news
paper. which the distinguished Dean
Richmond Rabbit omitted to notice.
The respectable newspapers in cities
have become the medium of general res
ligious intelligence, quite as fully as
the religious press. and probably with
less coloring of UNCONVENTIONAL prefer
ence. In these times, when divisions
of sentiment arise in a denomination,
and the religious press takes sides in
the controversy. the matters of diff
ference can be better learned from the
general newspapers than from the re-
lipious newspapers; the latter some
times suppresses facts which do not
accord with their favorite theological
views. Taka for example the case of
Rev. DIR. Parker, of London, now in
this country. When in Chicago he
was invited to attend the weekly meet.
ing of Congregational ministers. DR..
Parker told the ministers that the
object of his visit to this country was
to accept an invitation to deliver a
eulogy on the life of his long-lcved
friend, Henry Ward Beecher; he spoke
of that great preacher in glowing
language, and on other matters. The
religious paper in Chicago which pro-
fesses to represent these ministers,
gave a considerable portion of DR..
Parker's address, but carefully avoided
any allusion to what was said about
Mr.. Beecher. If this item of religious
news had been left to. the religious
paper to make known, it would have
been withheld from the reading pub
lie. The reason of this silence of the
religious paper is too well understood
to need explanation. This is but one
instance among others of benefits of
the newspaper imparting facts which
the religious paper withholds without
jastifable reason.